Alarm system for oil and gas fired heating furnaces



Nov. 17, 1953 E. FIEDLER ALARM SYSTEM FOR on. AND GAS FIRED HEATING FURNACES Filed April 20, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2'7 A /A? 4; 30 A? /0 INVENTOR. filial 524 1;

Nov. 17, 1953 E. FIVEDLER 2,659,334

ALARM SYSTEM FOR OIL AND GAS FIRED HEATING FURNACES Filed April 20, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .ESrnaZ'eaZez;

AZZE'ne i Patented Nov. 17, 1953 ALARM SYSTEM FOR OIL AND GAS FIRED HEATING FURNACES Ernst Fiecller, Scotch.Plains,.N-.,J.

Application April 20, 1950, Serial No. 157,072

.2 Claims.

This invention relates to an alarm system for use in connection with oil .or gas fired furnaces employed as a source of heat for building heating installations.

In the use of oil or gas fired furnaces which serve as the heat source for building heating systems, it not infrequently happens that back fires or explosive combustion of the fuel occurs within the fire-box or other internal parts of the furnace, with the result that the furnace doors are blown open or the furnace smoke is displaced so that smoke, fumes and soot are discharged from the furnace into the building interior, to the damage of said interior and discomfort of the building occupants, and with risk of fire. Resultant fire risk and damage could be greatly diminished, if not entirely avoided, if prompt warning of such occurrence were given so that remedial steps could be quickly taken.

Having the above circumstances in view, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel and efficient alarm system which is adapted to give prompt notice and warning in the event that abnormal combustion of fuel in the furnace occurs and results in discharge of smoke, fumes and soot into the building, so that immediate steps can be taken to remedy the condition, and thus avoid fire risk and possible damage and discomfort which would ensue if the condition were long neglected.

The invention has for a further object to pro- Vide a novel alarm system for the purposes stated which includes a local alarm operative at the furnace and a remote alarm or alarms for location in selected part or parts of the building interior.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly mentioned, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a furnace Similar characters ,of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views to indicate corresponding parts.

The alarm system of this invention comprises an alarm control mechanism which is adapted to be mounted and suitably supported on the furnace desired to be served thereby, .or in .a location in the adjacent vicinity of said furnace. As shown in Fig. 1, said alarm control mechanism is mounted .on the top of 'a furnace l0, and comprises a base H having standards .12 upstanding from the respective ends thereof. Journaled in and between the bearing standards 12 is a rotatable shaft l3. The shaft [.3 is arranged to be driven .by 'a .spring :motor.

The spring motor is located between spaced apart transverse housing plates l4 which upstand from the base II. Said housing plates also have bearings 15 through which the shaft it extends, and said housing plates are tied together by longitudinal tie-rods it which respectively extend between .the corner portions thereof. One or more motor springs ll (two being shown) have outer ends 18 thereof suitably affixed to and anchored by a tie :rod 16, the inner ends of said motor springs being affixed to and in coupled connection with the shaft I3. The motor spring or springs .l'! are wound .to store tensional .energy thereof by rotation of the shaft l3 counterclockwise. To permit this,.an end of shaft 113 is provided with a squared portion 19 for engagement by a winding crank or key (not shown).

Tripabl'e check means is provided for releasably holding the shaft against rotation under power transmitted by stored .tension of the spring motor. In an illustrative form thereof as shown, the tripable check means comprises a ratchet wheel 20 which is fixed .on the shaft l3 so as to turn therewith, and rotatably mounted on said shaft, contiguous vto the ratchet wheel 20, is :a check wheel or disc .21. This check wheel or disc 2| is of larger diameter than the diameter of the ratchetwheel, :and pivotally mounted on the face of said check wheel or disc which lopposes the ratchet wheel is :aspring pressed pawl 22 adapted to engage the teeth of the latter whereby to obstruct spring power actuated rotation of the shaft 13 in operative clockwise direction. Carried by the check wheel or disc .21 are a plurality of laterally projecting check pins or studs 23 disposed in circumferentially spaced relation around the marginal portions thereof. Pivotally :supported on a tie rod .16 is a slideway member 24 in which adetent bar .25 is slidably supported. Said detent bar is provided accuses with a slot 26 through which the last mentioned tie rod [6 extends, whereby the detent bar can be swung about the tie rod as a fulcrum and can also slide longitudinally in the slideway member 24. At its lower end, the detent bar is provided with a stop shoulder or hook which is adapted to be normally engaged with a check pin or stud 23 of the check. wheel or disc 2 i. lhe upper end portion of the detent bar, which extends above the pivoting tie rod it, provides trigger arm 23 for tripping the detent bar. Said trigger arm 28 preferably terminates in an eye or ring 29.

The local alarm and actuating means therefor comprises an outwardly open sound amplifier shell 30, the closed inner end of which is suitably affixed to an adjacent housing plate i l, whereby said shell is maintained stationary.

The shaft it extends through this sound amplifier shell S'El. Fixed on the shaft so as to be rotated thereby within the interior of the sound amplifier shell is a toothed wheel .ti. Affixed to the side Walls of the sound ampf. fier shell 36 are sounder elements 3:3, the free ends of which are engageable the teeth of the toothed wheel 35, whereby, when said toothed. wheel BI is rotated, the sounder elements will be vibrated thereby with loud sound producing effect.

An electrically operated reznote alarm means, such e. g. as an electric buszer or hell is pro vided for selected location within the building served by the furnace i The means for controlling operation of the buzzer or hell coinprises a push-button switch t l which is mounted on the base H of the alarm control mechanism and beneath the shaft thereof. Said switch 34 is connected in electrical circuit with the buzzer or bell preferably through a trans former 35. Fixed on the shaft it, so as to be rotated thereby, is a cam wheel the periphery of which is provided with one or more cani nos ings 3i adapted, in operation of the cam wheel, to depress the push bu ton of the switch, whcreby to close the latter and the electrical circuit and thus cause the remote alarm buzzer or hell to sound.

The alarm control mechanism is so connected with a door or doors 3% of the furnace it and with the furnace smoke pipe 39 that, in the event abnormal combustion of fuel in the furnace should blow open the door or doors or displace the smolce pipe, the alarm control mechanism will be tripped so as to cause actuation of the local and remote alarm means. To this end, a pull cable it is suitably connected with the door or doors at to extend therefrom, over suitably located guide pulleys to the detent bar 25; being suitably secured to the eye or ring 29 of the trigger arm 28 of the latter. Similarly another pull cable s2 is suitably connected with the smoke pipe 39 to extend therefrom to the detent bar 25, being likewise suitably secured to the eye or ring 29 of the trigger arm 23 of the latter.

To condition the alarm control mechanism for use, the motor spring or springs l? are wound to store tensional energy thereof ready for transmission to the shaft it for alarm operation. This is done by rotating the shaft it in counterclockwise direction. Preparatory to thus wind-- ing up the motor spring or springs ll, the trip able check means is set to releasably hold the motor spring or springs in wound condition. To this end the detent bar 25 is slid down in the slideway member 24 to the limit of its downward movement as determined by engagement of the upper end of its slot 26 with the pivoting tie rod Iii, whereupon the detent bar 25 is swung g inward to engage its stop shoulder or hool: ill beneath a selected check pin or stud 23 of the check wheel or disc 2!, thus holding said checl; wheel or disc against rotation. Under these cond'tions, the ratchet wheel 20 is free to turn past the pawl 22 in counterclockwise direction as the shaft I3 is turned in such direction to wind the motor spring or springs H, but is prevented by the pawl 22 of the restrained check wheel or disc 21 from rotation in operative clockwise direction, thus holding the motor spring or springs it under wound tension. In thus setting the detent bar 9.5 in holding relation to the checl; wheel or dis ill, the trigger arm 2'8 is both lowered and somewhat outswung, whereby the 1;) pull. cables it and 52 are tautened in their extension respectively from the furnace door or doors 3E and the furnace smoke pipe The rrzn control mechanism being co for use in the manner above des ribed, occu rence of abnormal combustion of fuel in the it nacc iii results in blowing open the fur nace door or doors and/or in displacing the j e the opening movement of said door or use and/or t. e displacing movement will exert pull upon one or both cables at :12. Any such pulling 121035-- the cables and/or ll? will exert an .11 upon the t 1 arm $23 1 rates to swing the den about the pivo' rod in an cut thus vithdrawing the shoul or; ii? from the check pin or stud h it was engaged, and thereupon check whee-1 or dish for cloclrr.

Such freeing of the check wheel or the shaft for like operative rotation under the power the uurotor or springs ii. As the shaft i3 is opel ti'veiy rotated by the spring motor, the toothed wheel of the local alarm will be ro tated in engagement with the sounder elements thus causing the latter to be vibrated with loud alarm sound producing effect. At the same t me, the cam wheel will be rotated so that nosings will intermittently actuate the push button svitch so as to simultaneously sound the remote alarm The local alarm will continue to sound until the sp'ing motor runs down. When .e power of tie spr ng motor has '11 be enough to overcome the frictional o red by the depressed nup an engaging wheel t s no. s ntly the cam s will come to whi e to switch position, so that the swtch remote in will sou ttention is uhe switch is annually released.

roan the above it will be understood that the instant invention provi simple so '1 yet cient n for the indicat and ii 7o purposes. I aware that various .1

could be made in the above described alarm 8011- trol mechanism and in the detail thereof .thout departi..-g from the scope of this inven- 'tion as defined by the following claims, It is, 5 therefore, intended that all matter described in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In an alarm mechanism of the kind described, an alarm operating shaft, a spring motor for rotating said shaft, tripable check means to hold the spring motor under tension subject to release for shaft actuating operation, said check means comprising a check wheel rotatable on the shaft and having at least one laterally projecting check pin, a ratchet wheel fixed on the shaft, a spring pressed pawl carried by the check wheel to engage said ratchet wheel whereby to prevent alarm operating rotation of the shaft by the spring motor when rotation of the check wheel is restrained, a pivoted detent bar having means to engage a check pin to restrain rotation of the check wheel, and a pull cord to move said detent bar to check pin disengaging position whereby to release the check wheel from restraint and thereby permit spring motor driven actuation of the shaft for alarm operation.

2. In an alarm mechanism of the kind described, an alarm operating shaft, a spring motor for rotating said shaft, tripable check means to hold the spring motor under tension subject to release for shaft actuating operation, said check means comprising a check wheel rotatable on the shaft and having at least one laterally projecting check pin, a ratchet wheel fixed on the shaft, a spring pressed pawl carried by the check wheel to engage said ratchet wheel whereby to 6 prevent alarm operating rotation of the shaft by the spring motor when rotation of the check wheel is restrained, a pivoted slideway means adjacent to said check wheel, a detent bar supported by said slideway means subject to limited longitudinal movement therein, said detent bar having means to engage a check pin to restrain rotation of the check wheel, and a pull cord connected with said detent bar, said pull cord being adapted to be tautened to operative condition by longitudinal and in-swinging movement of the detent bar into check pin engaging position, whereafter pull upon said pull cord will move said detent bar to check pin disengaging position whereby to release the check wheel from restraint and thereby permit spring motor driven actuation of the shaft for alarm operation.

ERNST FIEDLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 214,944 Neely Apr. 29, 1879 437,772 Canterbury Oct. 7, 1890 492,792 Ganzfried Mar. 7, 1893 850,853 Smith Apr. 16, 1907 880,762 Staub Mar. 3, 1908 1,006,608 Walker Oct. 24, 1911 1,078,529 Aufiero Nov. 11, 1913 1,492,524 Michalak Apr. 29, 1924 1,886,854 Vogt Nov. 8, 1932 

